Surveys and classification of surfperch

This metadata record documents target species surveys of surfperch, redtail surfperch, Amphistichus rhodoterus, and siver surfperch, Hyperprosopon ellipticum, for the California North Coast MPA baseline characterization of sandy beaches conducted between June 2014 and November 2015. Sandy beach surf zones are important foraging grounds for surfperch. Redtail surfperch is the primary species taken by recreational beach anglers in northern California. Additionally, the largest commercial landings of redtail surfperch in California are through the port of Eureka. Redtail surfperch are traditionally fished and culturally important for north coast tribes. These organisms are easy to sample, identify, and enumerate and are thus excellent target species for monitoring. From the surveys we determined species, length, sex, and tagged any released fish.